To all, The BWMA is now targetting weather forecasts. To the British members: be on your guard! They have polled people and they claim that most British citizens (74%) want weather in Imperial. Han METRIC WEATHER FORECASTS - 74% DON'T WANT THEM British Weights and Measures Association's comments on survey of weather forecast preferences. In an independent survey of people's opinions on imperial or metric units in broadcast weather forecasts, 74% of those who expressed a preference said they wanted imperial. Women feel even more strongly with 78% preferring imperial. Virtually all age ranges prefer imperial. Even the youngest, the metric educated age group, 18-24, is finely balanced with 48% preferring imperial. This evidence contradicts the BBC's ludicrous assertion that "The majority of people under 40 years old do not understand imperial measurement and the majority over 40 years do not understand metric measurements." The love of our traditional measures is rooted deep in our culture. So what causes the inexplicable craving to abolish them? The real reason for the BBC's arrogant attitude is revealed in a quote by Jonathan Amos of BBC News Online, "We are now in the bosom of Brussels." The BBC has decided to collaborate with Brussels and force-feed the population with metric measures. The opinion survey shows how out of touch it is with the listening and viewing public. This loathing of our customary measures goes against the earlier policy set out by the BBC Chairman, Sir Christopher Bland, who wrote to the British Weights & Measures Association saying, "We are not in the business of imposing anything on the public..." It is time the BBC, and weather forecasters in general, took notice of what the public wants and give renewed priority to our traditional imperial measures. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE 30 March 2001 INCITEMENT TO CRIME Local authority incites tourist centres to break the law (REM: and what do they do? Egging on traders to break the W&M Act!) The Sedgemoor District Council's "Design Guide to Directional Advertising" specifies metric distances on tourist signs. Under the 1994 Traffic Signs Regulations it is unlawful to display signs that do not show distances in miles, or yards. This applies to both road traffic signs and pavement signs for pedestrians. (Britain gained a concession from the EU to allow us to use exclusively miles and yards in road signs) While Sedgemoor District Council is inciting owners of tourist attractions to use illegal metric roadsigns the Sunderland Borough Council has prosecuted a green grocer for using allegedly illegal imperial measures when selling bananas. This is typical of the hypocrisy of local authorities when dealing with our traditional and popular system of measures. Vivian Linacre, BWMA Director, says, "Once again Local Authorities have slipped on their own banana skin". The British Weights and Measures Association invites the citizens of Sedgemoor to bring a private prosecution of their District Council for inciting a criminal offence. The centre pages of the offending booklet. Click on design for larger image.
